Facebook just Out-iMessaged the iMessage — and SMS is more pissed than ever

MG Siegler wrote to TechCrunch since 2009. It covers web, mobile, social, big companies, small companies, in fact all. And Apple. A lot. Prior to TechCrunch he covered various technology beats for VentureBeat. Originally from Ohio, mg attended the University of Michigan. He had previously lived in Los Angeles, where he worked in Hollywood and in San Diego where ... ? Read More

Facebook today made a strange thing: they released a mobile application separately from their main app they've never done this before. But he is a genius. And this is yet another long-term thorn in the side of the SMS.

Facebook Messenger is a separate application for iOS and Android. Essentially it merges Beluga product, which Facebook acquired in February with their up-to-date product messages. Now it makes sense why Facebook would make it clear that the beluga, the deal was for talent and technology (Facebook almost always makes the just talent acquisition transaction).

Shortly after the transaction Kincaid, Jason and I talked about the impact of the acquisition on our OMG JK show for TechCrunch TV (video below). We both agree that while it would be symbols for Facebook do so, they absolutely should release a new offline messaging application. The Reason For This? Speed and simplicity are key. Product messages within the current application Facebook offer either.

Now with Messenger, Facebook ready to roll in this space. Like competitors GroupMe and Kik be worried? Maybe but they are rapidly iterating and adding new features to try and stand out. They should be doing that little bit faster as the player with a built-in 750 million potential users just entered the space.

However, to be possibly more concerned about Messenger iMessage yet unlaunched. Announced by Apple at WWDC in June, iMessage is a new messaging platform, which will be part of the default SMS application in iOS 5. This gives a huge leg up, obviously. But it also has the potential to be much harder to use than Facebook's new Messenger.

The reason for this is that the iMessage as FaceTime, relies on the user's e-mail address (or phone number if they have the iPhone, but only if they have an iPhone). Developers access to the beta version of iOS 5 that I talked to complain that they often face problems trying to send iMessages because they have no idea what the e-mail address of your friends ' accounts are tied to this is the same problem that FaceTime faces.

Apple does it because e-mail addresses, as they define the identity for Apple ID. But many people have multiple e-mail addresses and may use one strange for their Apple ID. For example I do. You can add other e-mail addresses where people can find you in the iOS, but most users never going to do it. The system is not perfect.

Much more ideal uses your Facebook connections and the actual name of look-ups — obviously makes Messenger. Or, if the person you are trying to reach does not use Facebook, or you are not connected, you can use the phone number for the connection. Yes, you can also do this through the iMessage, but while Messenger is likely to use SMS to bring users to the application, SMS connection often continue iMessage as SMS messages. Although there are some differences between the iMessage and SMS, they basically look the same again, live in the same application.

Facebook Messenger also clearly will handle the Group better than the iMessage Messaging. While the iMessage seems like the system to bypass the SMS — and for good reason, SMS remains one of the biggest rip offs out there — Messenger feels like something that goes far beyond it.

The code found in Messenger, 9to5 Mac shows that Facebook will soon add the ability to video chat in annex a. it makes sense considering Facebook's recent tie-up with Skype for this functionality.

There is one big reason why Messenger appear out iMessage iMessage: cross-platform compatibility. iMessage will work only for users of iOS. Facebook Messenger works on iOS and Android devices. And there is one other massive job message Messenger: Facebook.com.

It now becomes clear that this is the true power of Facebook Messenger. Someone me and I get his messages on my phone and Facebook message appears on the Internet, if I open it. If I do not, the message goes in my area and I can then access. This is straightforward.

This iOS/Android/Web compatibility is a big reason why Beluga has been my favorite band messaging app. with Facebook.com now the Web component of the system, things just got kicked up a notch.

One thing is more than ever before: between iMessages, Beluga, GroupMe, Kik, Google new feature of Google + and now huddle Facebook Messenger, SMS is under threat of complete and utter. Yes, most of these services are compatible with SMS, but only so they can be parasitic on it.

As standard, which works on all mobile devices via SMS isn't going anywhere anytime soon. But with the growing use of tablets and other computing devices, cross-device messaging will come into its own anyway. And SMS, which is more or less racket running carriers for too long, it's not the way forward.

Good riddance of bad rubbish.

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